2026 election results delayed, and a big blow for Julius Malema
South Africa’s local government election vote count has been slowly creeping towards the 100% finish line, delayed by objections and recounts.
Currently sitting at 99.9%, the official announcement of the results has been delayed to Sunday.
Despite the delay, the picture of the elections is crystal clear, with the ANC and EFF emerging as the biggest losers in the municipal vote.
However, clear majorities in critical metros are lacking, and coalition talks are now underway between the largest parties.
The DA, which leads in most of the metros, faces difficult choices, with the ANC and ActionSA as the main partners in forming two-party coalitions.
This could provide more stable governance in metros like Joburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, which have been stymied by multi-party coalitions with varying and conflicting interests.
But the path forward is not clear-cut, with the DA and ActionSA having a complicated and antagonistic history, and the DA and ANC having to balance a wider, national partnership in the Government of National Unity.
South Africans will have to wait and see whether their leaders will navigate the choppy waters, and whether the politicians will put community interests before their own.
In addition to the election results, markets will also be on the lookout for key economic data coming this week.
The main focus for the week will be manufacturing and mining production data for September as well as the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q3.
According to Nedbank economists, the QLFS is likely to show a modest deterioration in the unemployment rate, which currently sits at 33.6%.
The bank said that the operating environment remained challenging during the quarter, with higher oil and fuel prices increasing input, transportation and distribution costs for businesses.
This placed pressure on profitability and likely cut employment capacity and hiring.
For manufacturing and mining, the same economic pressures are likely to weigh on output, with the bank seeing contractions of 2.4% and 7% year-on-year, respectively.
5 important things happening in South Africa today
Election result delay: The announcement of the final election results has been delayed to Sunday as the IEC goes through objections and recounts. The IEC is scheduled to announce the 2026 Local Government Elections results at 6pm on Sunday. [IOL]
Blow to Julius Malema: The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by Julius Malema, have seen a big decline in the 2026 local government elections. The party experienced its worst results since contesting its first election in the 2014 South African general election on 7 May 2014. [Newsday]
Cheapest grocery basket: Daily Investor has analysed which major retailer offers the cheapest grocery basket in South Africa. The measure looked at Checkers, Pick n Pay, Woolworths and SPAR, using a basket of the same 15 commonly-bought items at each. [Daily Investor]
Courier no-go areas: The Courier Guy keeps a list of “high-risk” areas to which it cannot deliver packages unless drivers travel in unmarked vehicles and are escorted by armed private security. The list is based on historical data on parcel hijackings and thefts [MyBroadband]
Roadblock season: South African motorists travelling for the coming holidays have only a few weeks to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and pass a roadblock inspection. Top Auto looks at the 10 things to check before setting off. [Top Auto]
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